An orthosis is a brace or other orthopedic device that is applied or secured to a segment or part of a human body for the purpose of assisting in the restoration or improvement of its function. Orthoses can provide assistance in walking to persons having any of several types of walking disability. One known type of orthosis is a knee/ankle/foot orthosis which controls the motion and alignment of a knee and an ankle when a person attempts to walk. Such orthoses can be made of molded plastic materials or of metal and leather parts. Various knee and ankle joints can be added to achieve the desired function.
There are many reasons for wearing such an orthosis, including knee injuries, arthritis, stroke, brain injuries, spinal cord injury and post-polio treatment. A person who is not able to properly move his leg and/or knee joint in a sufficiently functional manner to ambulate may wear a knee/ankle/foot orthosis to stabilize his leg and allow for ambulation.
A need exists for an effective knee orthosis that is able to automatically lock and unlock during ambulation without direct manual patient intervention.